This invention relates to an anti-backlash gear drive and, more particularly, to such a gear drive that is adapted for use in controlling backlash effects in a servo driven gear train, as will be shown, described and explained later herein.
In such a gear train, such as is in use in an elevation actuator assembly in a tracking system, the output pinion tends to hunt or rattle during periods of low tracking rates, thereby causing the problems of excessive noise and of needless wear on the gear train.
Where space is not a limiting factor, the prior art provides a solution by the use of split spring-loaded gears, where one gear is staked to the common hub and the other gear is free to rotate but is loaded by springs in one direction, and where the spring force can be varied by winding the split gear to vary the amount of scissors action on the mating gear. However, where space is a limiting factor (e.g., where space limitations do not permit the use of the gear face width that is required), this prior art means for preventing backlash cannot be used.
My invention eliminates these problems (i.e., excessive noise and needless wear on the gear train) even where space is a limiting factor; and, thereby, my invention significantly advances the state-of-the-art.